The housing management service provided by affordable housing provider, Tor Homes (Totnes, Devon) is ‘fair’ and has ‘promising prospects for improvement’, according to an independent report released today by the Audit Commission.
The housing association, which owns and manages 3,000 homes in South Devon, has recently had a far-reaching inspection by government watchdog, the Audit Commission.
In its report, published this week, the Audit Commission found that overall Tor Homes maintains homes well, repairs are done on time and there is an effective approach to housing management.
The inspectors highlighted tenants’ high levels of satisfaction with services. The report also said the Company has a robust approach to tackling anti-social behaviour, has a strong focus on controlling costs and has made some significant cost savings.
The Inspectors made a number of recommendations, including improving customers’ access to services and ensuring empty homes are relet quickly.
Kieran Colgan, Audit Commission Lead Housing Inspector for the South West, said:
‘Tor Homes has gone through significant organisational changes in the last few years. We believe that it has the strength of leadership and the capacity to deliver significant improvements in its services for tenants.’
Commenting on the report, Tor Homes’ Chief Executive, Howard Toplis, said: “We accept the findings of the Audit Commission and found the inspection to be a helpful health check on our progress.”
“The inspectors identified a large number of areas in which Tor Homes’ performance was strong and worthy of praise.”
“We already have projects underway to tackle some of the Audit Commission’s recommendations. We will use the Inspectors’ feedback to work with our tenants to continue to improve services.”
For more information please contact: David Norman, Operations Director for Tor Homes on 01803.869503
